


white roses and chrysanthemum

by bonjourmags



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Florist AU, Flowers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Teenagers, tbh it's so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-01 11:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12704229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonjourmags/pseuds/bonjourmags
Summary: Mike has his mind locked on the florist boy.Mike's mother doesn't mind getting gifts, but still wonders why her son brings her flowers every Friday.





	1. red and green bouquet

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> This is set in 1988, so they're 17 years old!  
> Also it was supposed to be an one shot but it's going to be probably 4 chapters long. Oops.  
> Have fun reading!  
> ~m

"And there's this guy who doesn't stop sneezing," Max started as they were heading home, her on her skate, Mike on his bike with Eleven holding on to him. "Sneezing?" interrupted Mike, not understanding how this could be such a big problem. "Well, yes," added Max, "he sneezes like three times per period, this is insane. He's driving me insane. But this means he does it what... if he's up sixteen hours a day, this makes a grand total of..."

 

"48 sneezes a day," said Eleven, calculating fast. The three of them laughed. "Poor guy. He must have a problem and you're just hating on him." added the girl, as they slowed down for the red stop. 

 

A silence started between the teenagers before Mike asked: "Oh, by the way, how is your history work? Have you finished Max?" She took a few seconds to think before answering, "the one on Versailles? Yes, of course I finished it! The deadline was today. I know you wanted to read it, but I couldn't find you before seeing Mrs Gate." Mike furrowed his brows. This couldn't be possible - she had to give it in on the 25th, and they were only the 24th September. Or was he in the wrong? "Wait. What day are we?" 

 

"Wednesday." responded Eleven, as quickly as when she calculated. Her breath was cold on Mike's skin and he shivered a second. Then connections were made in his brain - Wednesday meant it was the 25th, which meant it was his grandmother's birthday. 

 

And he forgot to buy a gift. 

 

"Oh fuck me," he whispered, "Thanks but no thanks." laughed Max before adding, "What are you swearing at?" They were getting closer to their homes when he answered that he forgot a gift for his grandma's birthday, which was a problem.

 

"We could get flowers, you know, it's not that expensive if the bouquet is not too big and there's a florist in the center of the town. I won't mind going there with you if you want!" Said Eleven with a kind tone. Mike wondered if it was a good idea - well, it was the only idea and he would hate to come home to his grandmother without something in his hands. Anyway, the weather was nice on that day and he could spend more time with El before his dinner with his entire family.

 

"Yeah sure, that's a good idea. Max, you're in?" He asked with a smile. "I'm sorry to say no, but I have tasks to do at home and you know my relatives..." Max said, a bit sad, wanting to go with them. "Oh okay. Good luck with that..." He stopped, sad to leave Max alone and then turned around to their new destination. 

 

Once they arrived, Mike wondered why he never noticed this shop. The fairly big shop was decorated with so many flowers - inside and outside. They were all put color by color, in a giant harmony, making the whole street smell like a parc in the middle of spring. Mike smiled without acknowledging it when El opened the door of the shop, and was forced out of his own bubble when she asked "Who in the world forgets their grandmother's birthday?" Her soft voice seemed to awake everyone around them, which were two boys. One was in a adjacent room, he was fairly small and had a bowl cut. He was not looking at them, the only hint that he listened to them was that when El talked he stopped doing what he was doing before starting again - writing things on a paper and counting flowers.

 

The other one was behind the counter, waiting for the two to ask about the flowers. He was way taller than the other one, and this time they could see his face, a very angular one with piercing eyes. His hair weren't at all like the smaller boy, which meant that they weren't neat. He looked great, a weird great thought Mike. "I didn't forget it," he said to Eleven, "I just... I forgot to buy a gift. Not the same." 

 

A small laughter, so light that Mike asked himself if it was his imagination working, came from the other room. Eleven turned around and showed an orange tulip to Mike. "This is nice. Grandmas always like orange!" He rolled his eyes. "Like all grandmas had the same taste in flowers... I think it's better if I take more than a simple..." he looked at the flower, not knowing the special name, and made a gesture to show it, "...this." The boy behind the counter spoke to them to help:

 

"Well, you could take a bouquet," he stood up and walked to the other room, where the second boy was. The short one was now making a composition of flowers in a bowl. The first thing that Mike saw was the gentle hands holding deep red and green flowers, trying to re-arrange them. "So here are everything that we created. If you'd like, we can make it a special for you with the colors that you want." Added the older boy, showing pieces, but Mike wasn't looking at the other bouquets, no, there was something way more interesting. The hands that he was looking at belonged to a body, on which there was a face. And this face had wonderful eyes that were looking at Mike with an innocent gaze. They were a mix of brown and green, silently fighting to get the superiority over the other color. The boy's mouth was a bit open, showing a piece of his teeth surrounded by a thin smile. 

 

Weirdly enough, when their eyes met none of them looked away, even if it was very awkward - instead of turning around, Mike said "I want this is one." as he was still loosing his world to the other boy's eyes, before pulling himself together, maybe his sentence had too many ends, "I mean... I mean the flower-thingy. I want that one." 

 

****

 

A week and few days later, Mike found himself daydreaming about this boy. He found it odd, not because, well, they were two boys - it happened, he knew it, everybody knew about Freddy Mercury, some were against, but for him it wasn't a problem. Even if it wasn't, he felt a bit scared, because for other people, like his relatives, it may seem like a huge problem. If his mom knew, she would probably cry because "You're going to take my future grandchildren away from me", she'd say. But this wasn't the point. It's not like he was in love with this guy, he just had a little thing going on. 

 

It was weird to him, feeling such things for a boy, and mostly a boy that he never talked to - when he developed feelings for Eleven, four years ago, they already knew each other well. This time, he fell for a smile.

 

For a look, for a gaze, for an interaction between eyes, for a small laugh, for the smell of flowers.

 

He wondered if he could go there again and be there with him, just a few seconds, to wander in the other boy's world and feel the innocence of a kid's love. His heart stuttered as he decided to go there right after school, but he needed an excuse to enter. He couldn't put it on his grandma - that was already used, and seemed too big. Maybe he could buy something for his mom or Nancy. No, his big sister would find his behavior too weird and would understand that something was going on. The mother choice was then approved. 

 

"You coming to play with us at the arcade?" Asked Max, when they met each other after class. "Oh, no... I have something to do, but I can join you two after." He lied, "I just need like thirty minutes and then I'm completely yours," he quickly added. Max shrugged has Eleven caught them in the hall. "Guys, I can finally drive! Hopper gave me the keys, so you can just put your bike and skate in my car on the way to the arcade!" She said happily. "Mike can't, but he'll join us after. This is going to be a girls' bonding time for an hour," answered Max, to what the three of them laughed and went their own way.

 

When Mike entered the flower shop, the smell was breathtaking. He wondered if he fell for the boy or for the universe around shop, or maybe it was both. He looked up to seek the one he thought about, but his eyes fell on the other boy, the tall one. He couldn't help but full a bit taken aback and disappointed. Not that seeing the boy was the whole point of his escapade, but it kinda was. 

 

"How can I help you?" He asked, a bit shyly. "I'm looking for a flower for my mom. Something very simple, not too expensive if possible, and not too extravagant. The kind of thing you'd offer just to say thanks." 

 

The boy smirked, "This is very precise!" he played with a pen with his left hand, "Do your mom enjoy a certain type of flowers?" Mike thought for a minute, and the only flower he knew about were roses, because his dad would offer some to her when it was valentines' day or she would give Christmas' roses to their grandma in January. "She likes roses. And the color white. I think a white rose would be great." The boy behind the counter seemed to disagree. "I won't do that if I were you. I don't know if you know a bit about flowers, but they all have meaning, and white roses mean that you're secretly in love." 

 

He walked and took a pink flower in his hand. "I'd give this one to your mother, it means gratefulness and soft love." Mike agreed. He had no idea that flowers meant something, and was happy to learn new things. "How much?" Asked Mike, to what the answer was: "It's a dollar." Mike was happy that it didn't cost that much. After he payed and carefully put the rose in his bag, he turned around to leave the shop. Then his eyes met someone that entered.

 

It was him. Mike melted. 

 

He looked so exhausted but had a smile on his face, showing the happiness of coming home after a long day. Mike fell for him a second time, and asking himself if he would always fall for him every time they meet. This was a destabilizing feeling, but if it was it costed to see the other boy, he didn't care. "Oh, hi Will! How was your day?" Asked the seller as Mike echoed his name in his mind. His name is Will. The small boy looked quickly at Mike, stared in his eyes, but soon lost interest in him since he was just a client, and soon walked up to the counter, leaving Mike's sight. He was happy that he got to see him again and decided that next time, he'll wait a bit before coming in to wait Will's shift. Just before the door was shut behind him, Mike heard a sneeze.

 

The cutest sneeze ever.


	2. pink roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! I hope it'll please you.   
> I hope it doesn't feel too much like a filer-chapter :/ Anyway enjoy <3

"You're always daydreaming, quit it and follow the class," whispered Eleven to Mike as he was drawing on his notebook. "I have enough of having to explain everything to you afterwards." He shrugged with a small frown. "I'm always telling you what to do in sciences, so we're even. What is the teacher talking about?" She rolled her eyes. "It's about Werther. He's a guy in a book and he's deeply in love with a girl named Charlotte. At the end he kills himself." Mike hushed her quickly, "Wow, spoiler alert. Thanks." She gently pushed him and he listened to his teacher, kindly daydreaming again. 

 

The feelings he had for Will were so odd. He wanted to know him more - make him a friend, get to know him, hear his voice in a face to face conversation, play video games, watch a movie with him. It was almost like he fell for a friend and not a lover. Maybe, he thought, he would like him better because the first relation between them will be a friendly one. He felt warm, his whole body was burning - his blood was filled with feelings, blocking any sad thought. It was reviving. Feeling like a kid, once again, but he knew that he was getting happy in an innocent, and pure way: thinking about someone.

 

"So, who's your Charlotte?" Asked Eleven when they were eating in the parc next to the school. Mike choked on his food, taken aback, while Max laughed. "What do you mean?" she said, turning to Eleven. "Well, in the Suffering of young Werther, he truly falls in love with a girl named Charlotte." She said to Max, "The thing is that it's been two weeks since Mike talks less about video games, and he seems to be less focused in school, even when it's science. That's not very him-like, so there must be a girl behind all of that." Max turned around to Mike, a giant smile to her face. "So, you're hiding something from us? You know you can't!" She pinched Mike's cheek and he shook his head.

 

"I'm not in love, okay? Leave me some space. I may feel some stuff, which is not such a big deal, for someone, but don't worry. It's a small kid's crush or something like that. In a week it'll be over, and science will be my true wife again." Max and Eleven couldn't stay in place, trying to know who she was. "I can't believe you're that serious. Please, you're having feelings and you look like you're not cool with that! Enjoy life." Mike smiled. "How would you feel if I told you I'm going to see this person in a few hours? Will your hearts will be full with gossip?" And that was it. The two girls were filled with passion, they couldn't stay in their seats. "Oh, but I told you that but if I catch one of you following me after school, she's dead!" He showed them his pinky so they could make a promise. "I'll agree to that if you keep us to date. At least tell us a bit - just a bit, of what happened. Promise?" Added Eleven, as she reached Max's and Mike's pinky.

 

"Promise."

 

This week, Mike learned from his past mistakes. He waited a bit with El and Max, almost an hour in the library so they could study before the girls go to the arcade and him to his secret place. When he felt like it was time, he hugged them both and left quickly. 

 

It was the start of autumn, inside and outside. The leaves inside Mike's body were slowly turning yellow, just before they fall: Mike's heart was a tree, and the leaves will, at some point, fall for Will.

 

When he entered the shop, feeling his organs too compressed in his throat, he saw the tall boy talking to Will. The last one was scribbling something on a paper, behind the counter, listening to the older one with little attention. Mike walked slowly inside, wanting to discover this shop again and again, wanting to discover Will's face and hands again and again. "Okay tell me your presentation again. For when is it, Will?" Said the tall boy, almost as if they didn't acknowledged Mike's presence. He guessed that he opened the door too kindly to make any sounds. He felt like an intruder inside somebody's private life, but he couldn't bring himself to stop them in their discussion. 

 

"Je m'appelle Will. J'ai dix-sept ans et j'aime beaucoup... la lecture, le pinceau et ma famille. Mes plus grands amis sont Dustin et Lucas. J'ai un grand frère, Jonathan. Oh, and this is due for tomorrow, but it's only a very short introduction, like, the teacher doesn't even expect us to speak a good french." Said Will, just before a small sneeze escaped his nose, and Will couldn't stop fixing him as he talked in what seemed french. As cliché it may sounds, french was very impressive, maybe not as romantic as everyone said, but it seemed so pretty when Will talked with his english accent in a foreign language. How is tongue was stuck on some of the words, when he couldn't find the right word - and here Mike was, now able to write a whole novel on how Will was cuter now that he speaks french. The only thing Mike could said (and understand) was baguette, maybe he should have picked french instead of spanish, at least, he would've been in the same class as Will.

 

"Well, you're quite good at it, but what do you mean when you say j'aime beaucoup le pinceau?" added the tall boy, who looked a lot like Will, thought Mike, slowly understanding that they were brothers. "Um, I'm trying to say that I like drawing!" Mike was still in the middle of this shop, looking at them with an insistent glare, just before Will looked up to see that there was someone else in the room. His eyes directly met with Mike's, before quickly changing to his brother's. "Oh, you're wrong then. You said you like the brush, the word you should say is dessin." As he said that, he saw Mike too, and seemed a bit embarrassed that someone else was here. "Oh my, sorry. I'm going, Will. Good luck keeping the shop." And as soon as he said that, he was gone. Will laughed quietly, and Mike couldn't help but asking, "Did I made him leave? He seemed in a hurry like I scared him." 

 

Will brushed it off. "Don't worry, it's him, he's always like that. He doesn't like people. He'll probably be back in ten, after he's sure you're gone." He looked at Mike's features, as if he was searching for something, before adding, a bit lost in his own thoughts, "What can I do for you?" Mike was afraid to answer because since Will's piercing gaze was set on him, he would probably stutter. He opened his mouth twice before actually finding his words, and felt like he was a young girl having a crush on someone, which was irritating, because he was a seventeen, almost eighteen year old boy having ridiculous feelings over the florist boy.

 

"I want a pink rose." Will moved from the counter and even when he was up he still looked so small. Mike, for sure, was someone tall, but Will was still very small. A head, maybe a head and a half were separating them. Mike followed Will serenely as he was daydreaming. "You know what pink roses mean? It's sometimes an error to offer some flowers to some people. It's better if you know what is the unsaid that comes with it." Added Will as he gave Mike the flower he asked for, before sneezing. Mike smiled. "I know it means gratefulness and soft love, which is why I'm getting it for my mom." 

 

Will's lips parted a bit as he answered. He looked impressed that Mike knew this kind of things, because no one except florists know this kind of things, usually. Mike was happy that Will was surprised and maybe, maybe he'll stay in his memory after this sentence. Of course, he stole this explanation from Will's big brother, but hey, Will had no reason to discover the truth, and Mike had scored at least one point before the end of the match. "Oh. I had no idea that you knew this, Mike."He said and the other boy stopped a second. "Wait. You know my name?" Will smiled. "Of course. We go to the same school and well, I always notice people... Since I draw so much I always need new faces to try. It's a dollar, please." Mike gave him a dollar, still disturbed with Will's words. "Wait. You drew me?" Will thought for a second. "Um, no, I didn't. But I draw one of your close friends a lot. Maxine, that's her name I think. She's in my class so I see her often. Thank you for your purchase!"

 

Mike said thanks, leaving the shop shortly after that, still troubled.

 

***

It was a Tuesday when he saw Will in the hallway with two other boys, one with curly hair and the other one was black. Mike had no idea of who they were and was way too interested in lurking Will to actually ask someone what was their names. He was walking with Eleven and Max, and he stopped the conversation as he got close to Will. 

 

"Hi, Will." he said quickly, and he couldn't help himself but think that he sounded like a huge jerk, but at least he said hi. "Oh, hi Mike." Said Will, surprised. "Did your mom liked the gift?" he asked. "Oh yeah. I decided I'll give her another one. You're not going to see me disappear of your sight before a while." He joked, to what Will answered with sarcasm: "Can't decide if I'm happy or extremely dissatisfied." 

 

As Mike walked away, Dustin asked Will, and Max asked Mike, "How do hell do you guys know each other?" 

***

Will was Mike's pandora box. Of course, he was a certain type of pandora box - not a bad one like in the Biblical story, he didn't lead to awful diseases. When Mike decided to act on Will, and choosing to see him after school in the flower shop, it opened a door in his mind - a door he didn't even know the existence before. He found himself more sensible to everything. Nature seemed more intriguing than it ever was, and he now could see beauty in most things. Will was Mike's sensitivity box. Falling for Will made him fall for so many things, and not only a boy. Now when he looked at Max's eyes he saw how pure they seem, like the sea on the prettiest days. Eleven was stunning, everyday, and Mike felt like the worst friend to never realize how much effort she gave to her apparence, so he started giving compliments to the two girls whenever he could. 

 

"You're acting out of your character, Mike. Not that I don't like when you say that my dress looks neat, but it's not very you. What's going on?" Said Eleven one day. "I don't know. I guess I just finally recognize how pretty the two of you are." Max laughed. "You're so soft. Who changed you? Is that the Friday-thing that makes you so... aware of everything?" 

 

Mike thoughts went to Will, "Yeah, I guess it is. But I'm happy that way." It has been more than a month since Mike saw him for the first time, and he visited the flower shop four more times. Whenever he came inside, Will had already the flower close to him, as he was waiting for Mike's arrival. But now it wasn't a simple "oh hi, I'd like that, it's a dollar, thank you" anymore, now Mike stayed often a bit so they could talk. He learned quickly that Will and Mike had a lot of interests in common, like ghost busters, risky business, dungeon and dragons, to what Will proposed to Mike to team up with his other friends, Dustin and Lucas, to play. He said why not, but was secretly jealous that they could spend so much time with Will and he couldn't. He only had is quarter of an hour every Friday.

 

But he was planning on making that quarter way longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it!   
> Don't forget to comment if you liked it it makes my day <3  
> ~m


	3. two (2) pink tulips and one (1) yellow tulip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here you go <3 this is getting out of proportions, I don't know when I'll get the feeling that this fic should end (tbh, it should've end chapter one, bc it was a stupid one shot idea and not a 5 chapters-fic)
> 
> have fun! don't forget to comment or if you wanna make friends/send prompts, here's my tumblr: whues

Skin against the wind, Mike was on his bike, a Friday, in the afternoon. As he took the habit those past two months, he was going to see Will after his classes and talk with him a bit. The two of them were now friends, even pretty good friends, and Mike wouldn't ask more. His terrible crush never faded like he hoped it would, but at least he won a friend in the match. 

 

The coldness of the wind was harsh on his face, biting him behind the ears and on his nose, probably turning him into a pink mess. He didn't care, because even if the days were becoming bitter, his mind couldn't take a hit from it. He felt way too happy to be hurt by the shorter days, the rain, the leaves on the ground.

 

It would've been very romantic if Will was the only reason behind that delight, but he wasn't the only one who changed him. He was the door that opened the garden of bliss, for sure: thanks to him, his mother was more jovial with her weekly gift of flowers, thanks to him, Mike's mind locked more on things and the charming parts of it, which made him more sensitive to other's feelings, making his already close relationship with the girls even more fusional, thanks to him he founded himself listening to Nancy's problems when, three months earlier, he found those dull.

 

Thanks to him, he felt like a better person.

 

He entered the small shop and as usual, memories came in his mind. It wasn't memories of him being in this shop, no, it was quick flashes of him as a child. The smell of flowers always reminded him, younger, playing outside with his mom, dad, sister, and old friends. Maybe this was why he liked Will so much, because he represented Mike's past, Mike's present, and hopefully, Mike's future. Will was reading a book and seemed to be so absorbed in it that he didn't move when Mike opened the door. It even looked like he was so lost in the sentences of his book that nothing except his imagination and him were in the room. Mike unconsciously smiled, as he walked up to his friend. 

 

"Hi," he said in a soft voice, so he wouldn't scare Will. But still, the other boy panicked a bit when he talked. "Oh my god. You're going to give me a heart attack. I had no idea you were here. I mean I know you'll get here at some point because you always do, but I noticed nothing when you came in," Mike took a seat behind the counter, as he now used to, because staying up twenty minutes was way too much and life was too short to stay up all the time. He sat on the other side of the counter, so he could face Will. "I made everything to un-scare you. Your bad if you still got shaken." Will laughed quietly.

 

"Okay so, for my defense, I'm reading IT. It's scary okay?" Will bit his lower lip. "I thought you already read it?" Mike asked. "Oh yeah, I did, but I wanted to read it another time. I liked it very much." He closed the book, leaving all of his attention on Mike. "Oh sure, you just wanted to read the orgy scene again." Mike joked. "Okay, first thing, there's a reason for this orgy, as stupid it may sounds, but you wouldn't understand if you haven't read it. But yes, it's gross. Shut up." He said, tangling himself in his own strings of ideas. " Mike laughed at him, and couldn't know if he regretted it or would want to do it again after he saw Will's look. It seemed like something in between happiness and angst. He looked lost in his thoughts, but before Mike could paint the memory in his head, Will talked and the whole picture changed. 

 

"I guess you're here for a pink rose?" He said playfully, tangling his fingers in Mike's sleeve that was waiting on the counter. Mike was used to being touched, Max loved being very physical. Eleven less, but Mike and her were the closest friends so cuddles and touching was involved in their relation. But Mike didn't like to show affection that way, it seemed out of his own character. He didn't mind when Will was physical, because he was used to it, but he felt like he wasn't giving it back, he had no idea of how he could touch someone he liked more than a friend without giving everything away to Will. "No, I decided that I'll give flowers to El and Max. I was thinking of giving Max the flower you drew last week when I came in, it looked pretty." 

 

Will laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't if I was you. It was a purple carnation, it means capriciousness." Mike shrugged. "It kinda goes with her personality, I guess! But now that you're reminding me, I think I'll go for something that has a signification. I can't give those girls something bland." Will looked persistently at him, waiting for Mike to talk more but he didn't. He asked then: "Tell me what you want, what kind of feeling?" Mike bit his lip and joined his hands, forcing Will to let go of his sleeve. "Well, Eleven, Max and I we're like, the closest friends. I guess a bit like you and the two boys... Darwin and Lucas?" "Dustin," he said, before Mike started again: "I need to give them something that remind them of our history."

 

"I have an idea. It's not a signification, but I can give you the flower that made history." Mike moved his head to silently ask Will to continue. The short boy sneezed and then got up, walking to get some pink flowers that Mike knew, but had no idea of what was the name. "Those are tulips, and at some point those were one of the most things in the world. People killed themselves because of those flowers, of the money the could bring, their purity, their beauty. If you take in it pink, it means affection for friends or family." Mike smiled. "This is perfect. I'll take two." 

 

Will picked two pink tulips and a yellow one. "Oh, I just want the two pink, I don't need a yellow one!" Said Mike as he gave two dollars to Will, who smiled quietly. "I know. I'm giving you the yellow." Mike was surprised to this gift. "Oh. You're sure?" Will made an approving sign, and before Mike left the shop to meet El and Max, he asked: "What does the yellow tulip means?"

 

"I don't know, maybe you should ask a florist." Answered Will with a kind laugh.

 

***

"Here you go girls, I have this for you!" Said Mike as he gave Eleven a tulip and another to Max. El seemed very happy and quickly put it in the heart pocket of her dress, while Max looked at it with interrogation. "I'm not that girly... I don't want El to turn me into a real girl and now you, Mike Wheeler, you're giving me a flower?" Eleven looked at her with piercing eyes. "Oh, okay mom, I'll put it in my hair if it makes you feel better!" She said, brushing off El's face. She adjusted it on her head and looked very pretty, in a feminine way she rarely has. 

 

"I promised you girls that I'll say to you what is happening with me, and I guess I'm ready to tell you." Everyone stopped. The arcade seemed way too noisy for this kind of revelations. "I think I might have feelings for someone, and even if it's not going the other way, it makes me very happy and not angsty as I should be with this kind of one-side love," the girls screamed. It was too much, but Mike was in heaven with those two, he felt right were he should be.

 

***

The next week, when Mike entered the shop, he was welcomed with a warm voice, "Hello, welcome to the Byers' flower shop, tell me if I can help you!" He turned around to see the cashier, and realized that yes, this wasn't the usual seventeen year old boy that he knew, or even the older one, but a lady. She seemed wonderful and had a big smile up on her face, kindly watching Mike. He was a bit surprised, because he wanted to see Will, and this person wasn't him. "Oh, Will isn't here? He usually does this shift..." 

 

She looked at him, quickly eyeing him, like she was searching for something. "Oh no, he's occupied. You're a friend?" Mike shook his head slowly, before the lady's emotions reached a paroxysm of stress. She started to pick up papers from everywhere, way too quickly, made a bottle of water fall to the ground, that Mike kindly picked up. She was way too stressed for a lady that small, but it was, in a way, funny to watch. At some point, she found what she was searching and took a piece of paper in her two hands. 

 

She looked at Mike, then the paper, then Mike again. "You're Mike, aren't you?" The boy softly opened his mouth, "Uh, yes?" He wondered what was on the paper and how could she know his name? Did Will told her? "My son told me you'll come here today. I'm sorry I completely forgot what you looked like, or at least the definition Will made me of you, thank god Will draws nicely and left me this note." She got up and kissed Mike's cheek, which surprised him. Maybe that's were Will got all of his needs to be physical: his mom seemed to be very, very touchy.

 

"I'm Will's mom, but call me Joyce. He told me about you. So you're here for either a pink rose or pink tulips, right?" Mike answered, "Yes! Um, I'll buy a pink rose today... And what is it in your hands?" She took a pink rose in her hand and gave it to Mike, handling also the paper. It was a sketch of Mike, with annotations. There was a "this guy is v tall", "seems like his hair is soft but not washed", "nice smile, will probably not smile tho", "is here for -pink rose or -pink tulips (2)" "don't tell him what does a yellow tulip means, it's a secret mom". Mike laughed as he saw what Will wrote. He paid Joyce, then tried to ask: 

 

"What is the meaning of a yellow tulip?" To what she answered: "That you should've done your own research, young punk!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked! Again, comments make my day so don't hesitate to post one! <3 
> 
> I'm searching ppl to write with, so if you're interested, hit me up! my tumblr is whues.  
> (btw u can just say hi or send prompts!)
> 
> ~m


	4. a viscaria corsage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys!!!! This is the end.   
> Ttw, I was so!!! angry!!! when I saw that in the United States the chrysanthemums means happiness. You have to know that in Europe (where I'm from) it means death, which was a joke that I prepared since the beginning, even put it in the title of the fic, but well, America, you failed me, I failed you. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone who commented and let kuddos. It made me so happy, you have no idea, and kept me writing this fic. I created this for me but you made me love it way much more, and I want to thank you all for that. I have new ideas now, and I'm going to keep writing!
> 
> Enjoy! <3

"Oh, oh, Mike don't leave so quick. I know you have your Friday-thingy but we're supposed to work." Eleven said as Mike walked to go to the flower shop. He kindly slapped himself, "Oh fuck, I forgot about that. Yeah, sure, let's work." He followed her, feeling like a liar to Will - he was supposed to be with him, he lied, he said that he would be there and he wasn't. He asked himself if Will will mind, about him never showing up. The time passed by, and it was quickly past six. At that moment, Eleven announced that their work was fine and that Hopper wanted her to be home before it's too late. They kissed each others' cheek and then left.

 

Mike was going very fast - he wanted to come to the shop before it's closure, but as he arrived, he saw that the lights were off and Will was nowhere inside.

 

Something called his eye, just before leaving. Something was on the door. He walked next to it, and there was a white rose attached with tape, and a word wrote just under. Mike's heart missed a beat.

 

"It's waiting for you (Mike). Ring the bell and I'll come down to give it. ---Will" Mike quickly smiled, as he searched the ring. As soon as the noise had been done, he heard steps from the inside and, finally, Will arriving. He was laughing, as if something funny just happened, and opened the door to Mike. "Hi! I wasn't sure you'll pass today, but here you are!" He smiled. "Yeah, Eleven and I had to work together for science, so I was taken for a while... You live upstairs?" Will let Mike enter the shop, and took away the flower from the glass. "Yeah, I do. I was about to watch Ghostbusters when you came." 

 

"I love ghostbusters." Added Mike. "I know," said Will, "want to join me?". 

 

"Sure." Said Mike quickly, way too quickly for him to think about what he just said. He followed him, wondering how the "Casa Byers" looked like. They walked upstairs, and here there were. It was cute and cosy, very small. Mike did everything to not look like he was lurking, but failed to his mission. "It's messy. Sorry, none of us can keep this place clean." He said, and a voice in another room answered, "Oh my it's my fault!", and while saying this, the voice was getting closer to them, until Will's mom was in front of them. "Hi Mikey," she said as she kissed Mike's cheek, which he found, once again, a bit weird. 

 

"It's Mike, not Mikey," said Will to his mom. "I told you about him. The pink rose guy, and well he likes Ghostbusters so he's going to watch it with me." She smiled at Mike, and he thought that she was very pretty. "Great! I'm making popcorns!" She left quickly, and Will took Mike's arm to lead him through is home. The rest looked like he imagined, a nice house with life in it and messy around the edges. 

 

"That's my brother's room. I'm going to check on him quickly, if you don't mind." Mike shook his head and Will knocked on the door, which was followed by a "Sure, Will, get in!" He opened and Will's brother was in front of his mirror trying to adjust his clothes. "Oh, you're with a friend? Hi! This is embarrassing." he added as he slowly realized Mike's presence. The boy felt like he was intruding the Byers' life, but Will seemed happy to take him in it, so it didn't mattered. 

 

"Do I look okay?" Asked the tall boy, still looking at himself in the mirror. His younger brother answered: "You look fantastic! Let me just put the back of your t-shirt that way," as he moved around, "and you're perfect. Ready for your date?" asked Will. "Yes, I just have to pick flowers downstairs then I can go. Even thought I'm not sure that this is a real date. I don't know about her." Will laughed quietly, as he used to do, in a soft voice. Mike couldn't help but think that Will was mellifluous, pleasing his hear every time he used his mouth to do whatever, but his laugh was Mike's favorite. 

 

"If you're bringing flowers, you're making it a date. It's the rule." To what the three of them laughed, before Will let a small sneeze go. "I'm making this a date, then. But I still don't know what to offer. It would look stupid to give red roses, I mean I'm a florist and it's so stupid to hand the overly-used-romantic-flower-trope, you know? But I don't know what she likes. She has so many different tastes, Nancy Wheeler is a hell of a girl." Mike's stopped breathing for two seconds before starting again. This guy - Will's brother - had a date (or a no-date?) with his sister. But Nancy never mentioned it before, which is weird since he and his sister were getting so close. 

 

"Amaryllis?" Proposed Will, "It's cute and has a nice meaning." Will's brother seemed to agree. "Yeah, I'll do th-"

 

"No." said Mike, a bit too strictly for his own taste, "I mean, um, you should give her an incurve chrysanthemum." He added. The two Byers looked at him, both with a "I'm-not-so-sure-about-that" face, but still listening to him. Will was the one to tell him it wasn't such a good idea. "Mike, that flower means death. It's like, the worst thing you can offer to a date. It's for graves." And while he said that, the older Byers shook his head positively, approving what he was saying. 

 

"Yeah, okay, you two know a lot about flowers and meaning, but I know it's her favorite flower. So if you want to mark points, give her one." Will's brother furrowed his brows. "How do you know?" He said, to what Mike answered: "I'm her brother." A silence followed.

 

"Oh wow, I thought this couldn't get more embarrassing but it keeps getting worse," laughed Will's brother. The three of them laughed together right after. "What color should I get her?" He asked then, concerned. "I don't know, I think it doesn't matter." Said Mike as Will checked his watch. "Um, you should go. You're going to be late to your date-not-so-date with Mike's sister." After he said that, he marked a pause before adding, "It's true that it sounds weird to know that my brother has the hots for your sister." 

 

***

After they watched the movie, Will proposed to Mike to change the movie-watching into a sleepover, to what he agreed. He stayed the night and they talked about the weather, about their friends, about their own friendship, about their siblings, parents, school. Mike felt at ease, with Will, and decided that it was finally time to give him the name of his "best friend". 

 

"I guess you're my best friend too. Which is weird because you're not friends with Lucas and Dustin, my other best friends, and I barely know Eleven and Max, your other best friends." He added, and Mike answered: "We're in our own isolated island of friendship." 

***

Time passed by. Soon the snow stopped falling, and they didn't felt time going but they were in the middle of Spring. Mike and Will were hanging together all the time, and slowly their two groups of friends started to get along. Max and Lucas were getting, well, a lot along, and their quickly became the "future couple" of the party, the two dorks who couldn't get themselves to tell to the other their feelings, while Eleven and Will became friends even if they didn't shared so many interests, their personality clicked right away. Dustin was the funniest of them all, and won everyone's heart quickly. 

 

They even played D&D together, up until too late, sometime faking their sleep to their parents. 

 

Max was the only one who found out that Mike had feelings for Will. No one else made the discovery - maybe because they all assumed he was straight, which is usual. But not Max, she saw the quick looks, the smiles, the laughs that were shared between the two. She told Mike that she knew, told him that she was happy for him and that for her it wasn't a problem but he had to be on his guards because it wasn't everyone's case. He thanked her.

 

They were all eating together now, on a big table (it was often hard to find, so they found a strategy to keep the tables and then buy their food). "Guys, it's going to be prom. Like, the last prom. Prom-prom, the one and the only." Said Dustin, daydreaming of girls. "Have you invited someone, asked Mike to everyone. "I wish," answered Dustin, "I did," smiled Max, "You have to invite someone? Can't we go alone?" wondered Eleven. 

 

"You invited someone?" What Max said was the only information that shook everyone. "Who?" asked Will, shyly, to what Lucas raised his hand softly. They all laughed.

 

***

"So, you invited someone for prom? It's in a week," asked Will when Mike came to his shop to talk a bit. Sometimes he wasn't even buying a flower, he would just ask to Will to tell him the different types and different meanings. "No, I didn't. Why?" He answered. 

 

"Oh, nothing. I was thinking about that because we're making a lot of corsages, you know, for the girls and I'm preparing the flowers for the next couples. I don't have a date either, I don't really care, but at least we make tons of money when prom-period passes by!" Mike laughed. "I think you should get a sunflower for you and your girl's corsage," added Will. "Yellow looks good on you and it means dedication and pure love." 

 

"I guess I could take that," He said, but in his head he knew he wouldn't. He had another idea, and he needed Will's brother help.

 

***

"Did Jonathan pay you?" Asked Nancy, a few months after he secret date. "Who's Jonathan?" He asked, truly not knowing. "Jonathan Byers, a guy I'm dating, and he knew my favorite flower. But no one knows it except you, because the only time I told someone was when we went to see our family in the graveyard, three years ago. Did he pay you?" She continued. "Oh, that's his name? I've been seeing him all the time and he was always "Will's brother", well, once I was with Will and he was getting ready for your date, and he wondered what flowers and I told him that chrysanthemums were the perfect choice for you. I hope you don't mind."

 

She was surprised. "Oh no, I don't mind. But I'm skeptical. Isn't Will the, well, Will-Will? The one you told me about? The flower boy?" Mike shook is head. "Yeah, he is."

 

"So we're both into a Byers." Mike shook is head once more. "Yep. That's going to be funny when we'll have family reunions." Nancy laughed.

 

***

It was prom day. Mike had no date, and was not sure if he was going to ask someone. He was shaking to the thought - he wanted to ask Will, of course, but how would he react? He had his plan already made, it would've been stupid to not ask him out. He entered the shop in his black tuxedo, and Joyce was there to greet him. "Oh my god Mike, you're stunning." She awed, before adding, "I feel that there's a very lucky lady that is going to drool over you tonight." He laughed, if only she knew. "Can I take a picture of you? Pretty please? You've been around the house so much I feel like you're my own son and I'm proud." He shrugged, a bit annoyed because he just got out of an hour with his mother taking picture after picture, asking him why there wasn't a girl with this awesome boy.

 

"Sure thing." He said, because he liked Joyce and if a picture made her happy, he was more than honored to give her one. After he posed for a minute, she thanked him. "Is Will here? I want to talk to him. I thought it was his shift tonight." She shook her head. "It's prom, of course he's not working. But he's upstairs, I can ask him to come down. I have to take things from upstairs, anyway. Can you keep an eye for shoplifters? You'd be an angel." She said as she stood up and left. Soon, but not soon enough, Will was coming.

 

He was stunning. Mike's heart didn't skipped a beat, he wasn't short of breath, he wasn't in some romantic romcom, but Will in a tuxedo did look extremely cute, melting Mike's insides. "You're, wow." He said, and he almost slapped himself for being so cringe. "I was about to say the same thing, Mike. You're really handsome like that." Will was still adjusting his hair with gel, which was weird on him but Mike couldn't stop from loving him anyway. He wanted to help and run his fingers through Will's hair, but before he offered to do it, Will spoke up: "I guess you want to take your corsage? I prepared a sunflower one for you." 

 

"Well, actually," Mike said, afraid to disappoint Will, "I'm here to offer you a corsage." Will smiled weirdly, "Uh, yeah, okay. But I don't have a date so it will be a very sad single flower in my pocket. What are you buying me?" "I'm buying it for the both of us, actually, I asked your brother to prepare it for me because it's a flower that isn't a classic one for prom." Will listened, waiting. "What's the flower?" Mike's heart fluttered. 

 

"It's a viscaria." Will opened his mouth slowly. "You know what it means?" Mike said yes. "Will you dance with me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is over! It took me way more time that it was supposed to (lmao,,, it was supposed to be an one shot,,,) but oops!
> 
> My tumblr is "whues", if you want to talk to me, or send prompts don't hesitate! 
> 
> Love you all, don't forget to comment it makes my day!   
> ~m
> 
> (ps: viscaria literally means "will you dance with me" isn't that cute?)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! Please tell me if you did, it makes my day :)  
> ~m


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